Bonds

Chapter 25

83:51

-Alex’s POY-

A guttural curse echoed through the speakers, followed by the sickening thud of something heavy hitting the wall. I almost laughed, leaning back in my chair as I watched the live feed from one of the hidden cameras Christian had planted in Daniel Stone’s office.

Daniel himsell was a whirlwind of barely contained fury. His face, usually a mask of practiced composure, was contorted with rage, Veins bulged in his neck, and his perfectly styled hair was coming undone, strands sticking to his forehead like sweat dampened flags of surrender. The multi-million dollar mahogany desk that served as the centerpiece of his office looked like it had been ravaged by a toddler having a tantrum. Papers were scattered everywhere, some crumpled into unrecognizable balls, others fluttering to the floor. An expensive glass pen, the kind I would never stoop to using, lay

I

shattered on the white marble floor.

A twisted part of me enjoyed the spectacle a little more than I cared to admit. It was a petty pleasure, a childish delight in seeing the man who had being a thorn to my family brought so low. Even before I discovered Amaya was my mate, he had hated my father, my pack, something that transcended to me and I never know why. Somehow, he always came up on top.

But that was then, and this was now. Christian, with his ruthless efficiency and disturbing lack of moral compass, had turned the tables. He’d exposed Daniel’s dirty dealings, leaked damaging information to the press, and launched a hostile takeover of Stone Industries, all with surgical precision. The company was hemorrhaging money, its stock price plummeting faster than a stone dropped down a well. Daniel’s carefully constructed empire was crumbling around him, and the look on his face was priceless.

And this was just the beginning.

“Fix it!” he roared, his voice strained with impotent fury. “I don’t care how you do it, just fix it!” He spun around, his gaze landing on the two cowering figures huddled in the corner of the office. They were both senior executives, men who usually carried themselves with an air of self-importance. Now, they looked like frightened rabbits caught in the headlights.

“We’re… we’re working on it, Mr. Stone,” one of them stammered, “But the market is in freefall, and there’s only so much we can do.”

Daniel threw his hands up in the air, a gesture of utter exasperation. There’s always something you can do!” he bellowed. “That’s what I pay you for! Think, d am n it, think! Come up with a plan, any plan!”

He might be an e b ut he was still her father, still, I found myself unconsciously leaning

a part of me couldn’t help but feel a pang of… something. Regret? Sympathy? it was hard to say. The man had caused me so much pain, and yet, watching him crumble filled me with a sense of emptiness rather than joy. Perhaps it was the knowledge that revenge,

from the desk, the screen flickering back to the stock market ticker displayed on the opposite wall. The numbers were scrolling by at an alarming rate, each red digit a testament to Daniel’s crumbling empire. A small, almost inaudible voice in the back of my head pointed out that this destruction had come

off.

address after I ended the call. I had waited but she didn’t show

about but in that

thoughts were interrupted by a sharp ping from

rumbled deep within me. Just what I needed. I stared at the

e with irritation.

didn’t even know what I

Rusty

under my breath. I knew Miranda. “Urgent meant some convoluted scheme designed to irritate me further, to poke and p rod at

20

Chapter 25

seemed so

金83%

and 1 couldn’t stay put. With a

for the door.

cheap beer and stale cigarettes. The neon sign

stale beer and desperation hit me like a physical blow. The air was thick with smoke and the low hum of drunken conversation. Dimly lit corners offered dubious privacy, and the only light source for the makeshift dance floor in the center was a disco ball covered in a layer of dust that danced erratically

out a deep, guttural growl, a primal sound that resonated through my bones. It wasn’t a sound of aggression, but of recognition. My gaze snapped towards the source of the growl, cutting through the haze of smoke

Miranda was standing right in front of her. Her face was illuminated by the flickering flame of a

barely controlled fury simmering beneath the surface. Another growl erupted from within me, this time a possessive snarl fueled by a primal urge

think twice, I was striding across the bar, the worn wooden floorboards creaking in protest under my weight. Heads turned as! moved, a hush falling over the room for a brief moment before the murmur of conversation resumed. Amaya didn’t even turn around

I couldn’t quite decipher. But it was the fury simmering beneath the surface that mirrored my